Gear shift MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 2006 R171 Owner's Manual

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 63
Occupant safety................................... 64
Air bags .......................................... 65
Seat belts ....................................... 71
Children in the vehicle .................... 75
Panic alarm .......................................... 80
Activating ....................................... 81
Deactivating ................................... 81
Driving safety systems ......................... 82
ABS ................................................ 82
BAS ................................................ 83
ESP
®............................................... 84
Anti-theft systems................................ 87
Immobilizer..................................... 87
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 87
Tow-away alarm ............................. 88
Controls in detail............................... 91
Locking and unlocking ......................... 92
SmartKey ....................................... 92
Opening the doors from the inside . 97
Opening the trunk .......................... 98
Closing the trunk............................ 99
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 100
Automatic central locking ............ 101
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 102
Seats ................................................. 104
Seat heating* ............................... 104
AIRSCARF neck-level heating* ..... 105
Memory function* ............................. 107
Storing positions into memory ..... 108
Recalling positions from memory . 108
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position (parking aid)....... 108
Lighting.............................................. 110
Exterior lamp switch..................... 110
Combination switch ..................... 114
Corner-illuminating front fog
lamps* (SLK 280, SLK 350: with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps and without
Sport Package*)........................... 115Hazard warning flasher ................ 117
Interior lighting ............................ 117
Door entry lamps ......................... 119
Instrument cluster ............................. 120
Instrument cluster illumination .... 120
Tachometer .................................. 121
Outside temperature indicator ..... 121
Trip odometer .............................. 122
Clock............................................ 122
Control system .................................. 123
Multifunction display.................... 123
Multifunction steering wheel........ 124
Menus .......................................... 126
Standard display menu ................ 128
AUDIO menu ................................ 129
NAV* menu .................................. 132
Vehicle status message
memory menu .............................. 132
Settings menu .............................. 134
Trip computer menu..................... 149
TEL menu* ................................... 151
Manual transmission ......................... 155
Shifting into reverse ..................... 156
Automatic transmission* ................... 157
Gear selector lever position ......... 159
Gear ranges ................................. 160

Contents
Driving tips ................................... 162
Automatic shift program .............. 163
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting .................................. 164
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting ................. 165
Manual shift program
SLK 55 AMG................................. 169
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 172
Good visibility .................................... 173
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 173
Rear view mirrors ......................... 173
Sun visors .................................... 176
Rear window defroster ................. 177
Climate control .................................. 178
Switching climate control
system on/off .............................. 181
Setting the temperature ............... 181
Adjusting air distribution .............. 182
Adjusting air volume .................... 183
Basic settings............................... 183
Defrosting windshield .................. 184
Air recirculation mode.................. 185
Air conditioning ............................ 187
Residual engine heat utilization.... 188Automatic climate control* ................ 190
Deactivating the climate
control system .............................. 194
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 194
Setting the temperature................ 195
Adjusting air distribution............... 196
Adjusting air volume ..................... 197
Defrosting windshield ................... 197
Maximum cooling MAX COOL ....... 199
Air recirculation mode .................. 199
Air conditioning............................. 200
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 202
Audio system ...................................... 203
Audio and telephone*, operation .. 203
Operating safety ........................... 203
Operating and display elements.... 204
Button and soft key operation....... 206
Operation ...................................... 206
Radio operation ............................ 209
Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only) ..................................... 214
CD mode ....................................... 219
GSM network phones ................... 229
TDMA or CDMA network phones .. 236
Emergency calls “911”.................. 243Power windows .................................. 246
Opening and closing the
windows........................................ 246
Synchronizing power windows ...... 251
Retractable hardtop ........................... 252
Opening and closing the
retractable hardtop....................... 252
Wind screen .................................. 259
Driving systems .................................. 260
Cruise control ............................... 260
Loading .............................................. 265
Roof rack ...................................... 265
Useful features ................................... 266
Storage compartments ................. 266
Shelf behind roll bars .................... 268
Cup holder .................................... 268
Ashtray ......................................... 269
Cigarette lighter ............................ 270
Power outlet ................................. 271
Floormat (driver’s side only) ......... 271
Telephone* ................................... 272
Tele Aid ......................................... 273
Garage door opener* .................... 281
Heated steering wheel*
(SLK 280, SLK 350, Canada only) . 288

23 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Automatic transmission*:
Steering wheel gearshift
control*
165
SLK 55 AMG:
Steering wheel gearshift
control
167
2
Multifunction steering
wheel
26,
124
3
Horn
4
Instrument cluster
24,
120
5
Overhead control panel
30,
117
6
Glove box
266
7
Center console
28, 29
8
Sun sensor for automatic
climate control*
9
Starter switch
36
Item
Page
a
Steering wheel adjustment
handle, manual
42
b
Steering wheel adjustment
lever, electrical*
43
Heated steering wheel*
(SLK 280, SLK 350, Canada
only)
288
c
Headlamp cleaning* switch
173
d
Hood lock release
307
e
Exterior lamp switch
55,
110
f
Combination switch

Turn signals
55


Windshield wipers
56


High beam headlamps
55
g
Power window switches
246
h
Door handle
97
j
Cruise control lever
260

29 At a glance
Center console
Lower part
Item
Page
1
Automatic transmission*:
Gear selector lever
157
Manual transmission:
Gearshift lever
155
2
Retractable hardtop
opening/closing switch
252
3
Tow-away alarm
deactivation switch
89
4
Parking brake lever
52
5
Storage compartment
Telephone* compartment
266
Item
Page
6
Passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror switch
45,
173
7
Driver’s side exterior rear
view mirror switch
45,
173
8
Exterior rear view mirrors
adjustment switch
45,
173
9
Automatic transmission*:
Program mode selector
switch
163,
169

51 Getting started
Driving
Manual transmissionGearshift pattern for manual transmissionFor more information, see “Manual trans-
mission” (
page 155).Starting

Depress brake pedal.

Make sure the gearshift lever is in neu-
tral position (no gear selected).

Fully depress clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be start-
ed due to the integrated safety inter-
lock.

Do not depress accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 36) and hold until
the engine starts.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 61).Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 157).

54 Getting startedDrivingManual transmission
Depress the brake pedal.

Fully depress the clutch pedal.

Move gearshift lever to first gear to
drive forward, or to reverse gear to
drive rearward.

Simultaneously release the brake pedal
and slowly the clutch pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.Automatic transmission*

Depress the brake pedal.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
to drive forward, or to positionR to
drive rearward.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.!Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with automatic transmission*: It is
dangerous to shift the gear selector lever
out of
PorN if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on
the brake pedal, the vehicle could acceler-
ate quickly forward or in reverse. You could
lose control of the vehicle and hit someone
or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

60 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn exterior lamp switch toM
(page 55).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 110).
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever* not fully engaged in positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse gear)
is dangerous. Also, when parked on an in-
cline, positionP (manual transmission: first
or reverse gear) alone may not prevent your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (manual transmission:
first or reverse gear).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake and/or
move the gear selector lever* from
positionP (manual transmission: into
Neutral), either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious injury.

61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off engine 
Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.

Automatic transmission*: Place the
gear selector lever in positionP.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 49).

Guide the latch plate to allow the re-
tractor to completely rewind the seat
belt.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting into first or reverse gear
(automatic transmission*: gear selec-
tor lever in positionP).
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the road curb.
iVehicles with automatic transmission*:
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so
that the seat belt and/or latch plate
cannot get caught or pinched in the
door or in the seat mechanism. This
can damage the seat belt and impair
the effectiveness of the seat belt,
and/or cause damage to the door
and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch and the driver’s door
open, a warning sounds if the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on (
page 110).
The message Turn off lights
appears
in the multifunction display.

116 Controls in detailLighting
Switching off corner-illuminating front
fog lamps
The combination switch for the turn signal
resets automatically after major steering
wheel movements. This will switch off the
corner-illuminating front fog lamps if they
where activated by switching on the left or
right turn signal.
If the turn signal should stay on after mak-
ing the turn, the turn signal and corner-illu-
minating front fog lamp can be switched
off by returning the combination switch to
its original position.Driving rearward
Switching on corner-illuminating front
fog lamps

Place the gearshift lever (gear selector
lever*) in positionR.
The inverse front fog lamp comes on
automatically depending on the
steering direction and steering angle.
Switching off corner-illuminating front
fog lamps

Place the gearshift lever (gear selector
lever*) out of positionR.
The respective front fog lamp goes out.
iThe respective corner-illuminating
front fog lamp will stay lit until you
switch off the turn signal, even if the
steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
The respective corner-illuminating
front fog lamp may stay on for a brief
period after the turn signal is switched
off.
The respective corner-illuminating
front fog lamp stays on for a maximum
of 3 minutes. After that period, it will go
out even if the turn signal is still on.iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
will come on automatically depending
on the steering angle, even if you did
not switch on either turn signal.
If the corner-illuminating front fog
lamps came on automatically, they will
also go out automatically depending on
the steering angle.


155 Controls in detail
Manual transmission
Manual transmission
Manual transmission is standard equip-
ment on select models and not available
on all models.
For information on driving with a manual
transmission, see “Manual transmission”
(page 51).
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in first or re-
verse gear and parking brake engaged is
dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, an engaged
first or reverse gear alone may not prevent
your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting
people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging first or reverse gear (
page 59).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could move the gearshift lever, which could
result in an accident and/or serious injury.Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action.
This could result in drive wheel slip and re-
duced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS
will not prevent this type of loss of control.